Gadget Review: The Jawbone Bluetooth

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Huh? What? Can you repeat that? Weve all been there and done that. The Bluetooth-ed world of wireless has made us a people who look like we are talking to ourselves. Sure we can now drive without risking a crash, but many times neither we nor the person on the other side of the call can make out what the other is saying. You trying to get the bail out call on your blind date, but cant hear instructions? Trying to meet up with your homies at the concert, but cant hear a thing? Enter the Jawbone.

Hard-core military is the name of the game, as the Jawbone virtually eliminates background noise from your conversations. Not just other conversations, but music and really loud background noise. The militarys research is your gain, as technology developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to enable communication in combat situations is now adapted to club communication. It achieves this with an array of sensors and software that continuously scan your talking environment at a rate of 500 times a second. Your voice is then isolated from ambient noise and the extra sounds are removed. No more yelling into a headset; no more covering the mouth piece. The Santa-like Jawbone can tell when youre speaking.

Dont expect a bulky headset. The design is very sleek, featuring medical-grade plastic and a shield that matches the contour of your face. The Jawbone can also be made to fit on either ear with both four ear-bud and four ear-loop size options available. It also comes in 3 different colors, including black, silver, and a very sleek and sexy red for you sexy ladies out there.

The Jawbone allows you to roam 30 feet away from your phone, so you can move freely around your environment and with 6 hours of talk time and 120 hours of standby, its bound to outlast even some of the best cell phone batteries available. You can also charge via USB port, or generic wall outlet. Dont take my word for it. CNET gave it the highest Bluetooth rating ever as well as an inclusion on the Top 5 Most Wanted Products list in 2007.

The Jawbone aint just a Bernie Mac table joke. Its the most powerful, functional wireless headset on the market. With a retail tag of about $120, you get what you pay for.